


Reunion

by iloveallmyfandomsequally



Series: Zutara Week 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Reunions, Sad Ending, Sad Zuko (Avatar), Zutara Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveallmyfandomsequally/pseuds/iloveallmyfandomsequally
Summary: Zuko sees Katara for the first time in a while.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862872
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Fanfiction.net

"I need this place cleaned up! The Avatar and Ambassador Katara are visiting and spending the week here, and it has to look perfect!" Zuko announced to his servants. There was an array of yes's as his staff began to work on getting the palace ready for the arrival of Aang and Katara. Zuko hadn't seen them in a little over seven months. He remembered Aang saying something about going on a mission to see if he could find more airbenders since he had once made the point of the Air Nomads not staying in one place for too long. That was after Zuko had officiated his and Katara's marriage. Ever since then they'd been on a quest to find the lost airbenders.

Zuko made sure everything was up to his standards before he went to the docks to greet his guests. Having to wait a bit, Zuko scratched at his beard nervously. Maybe they'd changed since the last time he saw them. Maybe they were completely different people. It was then that Zuko saw an all-too familiar bison soaring through the sky towards the harbor. Appa plunked down on one of the docks and sighed happily, seemingly tired from a long journey. It was then that a man with traditional orange robes got off when Zuko approached. Aang definitely looked a lot different than the kid he knew all those years ago. He still supported the iconic arrow, but he was starting to grow a beard as his chin was sprouting hairs. Although he did have the same childish twinkle in his eyes as he did at twelve.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Aang greeted somberly, pressing the palm of his hand to his fist and bowing respectfully.

"Avatar Aang," Zuko said, doing the same. They could barely hold it for ten seconds before breaking out laughing. Aang then pulled Zuko in for a proper hug.

"It's good to see you, buddy," he said.

"The feeling's mutual," Zuko said.

It was then that someone else had hopped off Appa. Zuko saw a flash of blue and brown as he was crushed in a hug by Katara. "Zuko! It's been so long!" she exclaimed happily and proceeded to kiss him on the cheek. Zuko was startled at first, but nonetheless returned her hug with equally as much fervor. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her because he practically sighed when he felt her warm soft skin against his. "Wow, your beard is getting long!"

Zuko chuckled. "Yeah, I figured it was time for a change. Spice things up a little bit."

"Well, it suits you," Katara complimented, those soothing blue eyes gazing up at him.

Appa groaned happily and gave Zuko a big kiss. It practically made his hair stand up. All of them chuckled at his eagerness to see his friend. "Take Appa and put him in one of our finest stables. And make sure he has fresh hay and water. I'm sure he's tired after all that traveling he's done," Zuko ordered. The guards complied and proceeded to lead Appa where the stables were. He turned back to his friends and said, "Come, the palace awaits you." Aang and Katara happily followed him into the palace as they were shown where they would be staying for the week. Zuko announced that dinner would be served in a little while and they were free to roam anywhere they pleased. Aang and Katara thanked him and went about their business. Zuko decided to work on a few things before he would join them at the dinner table. He had much paperwork to do and a few letters to write.

After he was finished, Zuko was strolling down the halls only to find Katara staring up at his portrait painted of him as the fire lord when he had first been crowned. He looked so young; clean shaven, hair was messier, eyes seemed to sparkle. He walked over and stood next to Katara. "Can you believe it's been eight years since the war?" Katara marveled.

"I know. Seems like just yesterday we took down Azula in an agni kai," Zuko said.

"Oh yeah. How's your scar doing?" Katara asked, a little worry in her eyes.

"Y'know, the usual when you get struck by lightning," Zuko said with a shrug. "Sometimes the blood will stop flowing, sometimes I'll stop breathing. Other times I can't remember what I had for breakfast that morning, I may have a seizure every now and then. But on the bright side I actually took up juggling."

Katara stared at him as if he had two heads. How could he say things like that so casually? She let out a light snort. "Only you could make something morbid not sound like a big deal," she teased.

Zuko let a smile release. He then had an idea pop into his head. "Hey, let's go to the garden," he suggested. Katara nodded and soon they were strolling among the palace and into that all-familiar place. The turtle-ducks were swimming about happily in their pond, and the grass looked extra green. Zuko stopped and leaned against one of the posts while Katara stood next to him. "So, tell me, has Fire Lord Zuko met any lucky bachelorettes lately?" Katara inquired playfully, making Zuko blush and chuckle. "Or bachelors, I don't judge." She put her hands up in defense.

"Oh gosh no," Zuko said, the smile never leaving his face. "I guess I've just been . . . so consumed with work that I haven't really had time to think about love." He knew that if Toph had been there she would've called him out on his lie. In truth, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about love, but only for a certain woman.

"Come on, you must have a ton of suitors lined up to become the next fire lady," she teased, propping herself up on the railing.

"Well, I _do_ have a ton of suitors." Katara snorted. "But I guess there's a lot more to do in the Fire Nation that I can't have a stable relationship at the moment."

"Zuko, the Fire Nation is practically a haven at this point. Ever since you've been in charge the economy's boosted, there's been less pollution from factories, the townspeople seem pretty happy, and the chances of war are practically nonexistent. Seriously, what's really going on?"

Zuko wanted to laugh. Of course Katara could see through the lies he was telling her. He mentally cursed her intuition before letting out a sigh. "I guess . . . I guess I'm just stuck. I'm stuck in one place and I don't think I can get out. No matter how hard I try, nothing works."

"I can understand that. I remember when I first started dating Aang, everyone referred to me as 'The Avatar's Girlfriend' as if I wasn't even my own person. I felt trapped, like I couldn't be anything else. But eventually, I regained my title as Ambassador Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

"How are you and Aang, by the way?" Zuko asked. "I, I don't mean to pry . . ."

"No, of course not!" Katara reassured, placing her hand on his arm comfortingly. "It's been . . . weird, I guess. Aang still has his heart set on finding the Air Nomads and I kind of . . . well, I wouldn't mind staying in one place for a while. Maybe settle down."

"You think anything will convince him?"

"Possibly." She then put a hand over her stomach and it immediately clicked in Zuko's mind. "Congratulations, Katara," he said, trying not to show the sadness within him. She smiled warmly and embraced him in a hug. Zuko returned it but felt nothing but pain.

* * *

It was a while after dinner and Aang and Katara were probably somewhere doing who knows what, and Zuko didn't think to disturb them. He decided he was going to clear his head and wanted to go back down to the docks. He went from his room and tried to stealthily move around without causing a scene. Just when he thought the coast was clear he bumped right into his advisor. He was just about to say something when Zuko shushed him. "I'm just going out for a walk, there's no need for guards," Zuko reassured.

"But-"

"Please." His advisor could see that there was a glimmer of despair in Zuko's eyes, and with some hesitance he gave a nod of approval. Zuko proceeded to stroll down the palace steps and back to the docks. He walked across the wooden platform, the water sparkling from the reflection of the sun. He thought the sunset was beautiful across the open sea, and wished he had a certain someone to share it with. Sitting down with his feet dangling at the edge, he wondered how different the present could've been if he had just said something to Katara, anything at all. At the time he hadn't really known what he wanted, and it made him hesitant. It was always him not knowing what he wanted that screwed everything up. It caused him to dwell on what might've happened if he knew what he was doing.

_If you had known what you wanted, maybe a lot of things would've been different. . . ._ he thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a tight sensation as tears started to well up in his eyes. He knew there was no use dwelling on the past, but it didn't make the pain any less bearable. From the "What if"s to the "I should've done"s he began to think that not choosing Katara was one of his biggest regrets of all. Maybe then he wouldn't feel the aching hole in his heart. Maybe he would finally feel like he'd accomplished everything in his life. But he knew he couldn't go back and change it. He knew he was stuck without closure, and that was probably the worst of it all.


End file.
